Areina needed to blow off some steam after what's been happening lately. The LOD was getting stronger, the Master was still coming after her and Meygan and especially what happened with her cousin, Meygan. It wasn't long ago that Kevin Kent was forcibly exposed to Red Kryptonite and things got aggressive in their love life, VERY aggressive. Meygan wasn't mad at Kevin as it wasn't his fault, but Kevin was fearful after what he had done.

He got exposed to it while on a three person mission with Terry and Damian. Mordred threw it at Kevin and it was stuck on his chest. Damien cut it off but it was too late-he was in a hurry to get home and Meygan took the brunt of his exposure. Ever since that, Meygan and Kevin had been dancing around that issue.

"Hey, looks like you need to blow off some steam." The voice was familiar to her, even though she'd only heard it for the past few years.

"Yea, I do, Mathen. The LOD and Light are really pushing my buttons. You know, it wouldn't hurt to work with my fire magic, I haven't used it much since my underwater mission seven years ago...if you don't mind being my teacher?" Areina said as she turned from the practice dummy and saw her older cousin.

Mathen smiled. "Sure. I'm sure Liv would understand..." he created a fireball in his one hand. "Put on the shell, cuz. Let's see if you can take control of my fireball first."

"Your wife is VERY understanding, but I'm sure you more than make up for your absences. I just hope we don't need Molly like when we first met."

Mathen laughed at the memory. "I don't think she minds...unless she's with Andrew, THEN she'll mind."

"I think those two are going to get married sooner than Uncle Dick would like." Areina said as she pulled out the necklace Merlin sent her.

"Think? I know they will. Andrew really loves Molly. I always worried about her not wanting to fight keeping her from finding someone who truly loves her..."

"And yet her soul mate is a Thanagarian, a being that is BORN to fight and bring bloodshed." Areina remarked. "I'm still surprised Uncle Dick hasn't tried to kill Andrew." With that she put the necklace on and it pulsed then sank into her skin.

"He has…and tried to rip his wings off first. Andrew stood up for himself. Dad actually backed down." Mathen held out the fireball to her. "Go ahead and try."

Areina took a breath then concentrated on using her magic to move the fireball. She was able to call it to her, but then it seemed like it was about to go AWOL.

Mathen took control of it to help out. "The key is to not fight it. Let the fire flow through you, as if it's your blood. Try again. Relax into it."

Areina took Mathen's advice, this time closing her eyes and letting the magic become one with her. This time the fireball responded to her completely.

It came to her hands and she grasped it, the fireball was hot but her hands were unharmed. "I did it!" she said happily.

"Ok. Now turn it into an object. Any object."

Areina focused on the request, and it wasn't long before the fireball split into two and formed Eskrima sticks.

"Good. Now you have to hold the image of the Eskrima sticks while fighting me." Mathen easily formed a boa staff. "Let me know if it feels like you're losing it. I can take control if you do." He said with a smile.

"Alright, thanks for the help Mathen." Areina said with a smile while she kept her concentration on the weapons she was holding. "I've done this before with my META power, but never with magic….well not since that fight with Manta."

"It's not easy. It's much harder. I want to say you're almost a tier 1. Mom would be thrilled." Mathen came at Areina with his boa staff, thrusting it at her while snap-kicking her at the same time.

She was able to block the boa staff with her eskrima sticks but the kick sent her back a ways.

Her fire eskrima sticks wavered.

"Areina...relax, keep the form."

Areina knew there was only one way to relax, and that was to fight back. She went into a gymnastics/fighting routine that was sending Mathen back, and the eskrima sticks were retaining their form. Mathen had never seen anything like this, not even from his dad.

"Nice Areina! I think I can declare you a tier 1 fire wizard." Mathen declared proudly.

"Do you even have the authority to do that?" Areina said with a smile as she brought her fire eskrima stick in close to her cousin.

"Really? From that little bit?" Came Zach's voice as he appeared via a standing flame. "I saw nothing remarkable about her performance."

"Uncle Zach..." Mathen warned almost hostile.

Both focused on the fight at hand for a few more minutes.

Zach put up a fire wall between the two to stop the sparring match.

"What the hell!" Areina shouted.

"Areina isn't using her full potential to put you in your place, nephew. Stop holding back, Areina. Unleash it all!"

"Oh I'll unleash it all, Zach; you want to fight me? You know, you're becoming a real bastard about us kids training in magic." Areina asked, and the anger could be heard.

"She can't control the fire magic yet! I'm easing her into it!" Mathen cried, then he saw Areina ready to attack Zach head on. "Areina, no!"

"Weakling." Zach said as he stared down his 'niece'. "Will the Master ease into it with her, Mathen? Seems to me she has no business trying to do magic, let alone use it."

This was starting to really get Areina mad, but she was also getting better at controlling her paternal side's anger.

"Uncle Zach, YOU'RE OUT OF LINE!" Mathen yelled angrily.

"Am I? Then let Areina fight me. Let me see if she's even worthy to hang with Merlin's bloodline."

"HOW DARE YOU?!" Mathen threw several fireballs at Zach in anger.

Zach absorbed them all.

"I don't normally pull this out, but shouldn't Merlin's bloodline follow orders from the bloodline of the royal family." Areina said as she started toward Zach for hand to hand combat.

"Excuse me!? Arthur's line has been extinguished?" Zach asked as he created a ring of fire around himself.

"I'M of Arthur's bloodline!" Areina stated as she was able to break the ring of fire and grab Zach by his shirt.

"Impossible, little girl." Zach took her hand and twisted it upward, making Areina hiss as he sent another ring of fire at her, which pushed her back as it surrounded her.

"Areina!" Mathen had to end this...sure he wasn't on Zach's tier, but he could at least help his cousin out.

Mathen then sent a wave of fire at Zach, pissed off at his uncle, who sent it back at him and threw Mathen back into a wall and shackles appeared around his wrists, trapping him to the wall.

"That does it….as a member of the royal family, I'm ORDERING you to stand down, Zacharius." Areina said, her royal blood coming forth and giving her a leading quality.

"Oh please; I require proof before I yield to a brat like you." Zach said and that fire ring was shrinking down…and VERY close to her skin. Areina cried out as she felt her wrists get burned….but that was a crazy thought coming into her mind, she's never been burned by fire before.

"You wish to test me again, child." Zach said.

"You know I can fight back, so why are you so scared of me." Areina remarked as the fire continued to closely surround her.

Zach knew that Areina could get out of the fire easily, so he used the same spell and shackled her to the wall beside Mathen.

"Now kids, if you're through playing around, understand that NO ONE is a match for the Master, not even Arthur's descendant."

"Let my daughter go, you son of a bitch!" Roy fired his arrow at Zach.

Zach burned the arrow but Roy was fast, and he was upon Zach in a crouch, his bow and arrow aimed upward at the wizard. "I say it again. I will shoot this so that Cassidee is your ONLY child if you don't release them RIGHT NOW."

Zach did as he was told instantly. "I was just trying to prove a point."

"I can handle the Master!" Mathen cried as the kids' arms fell when the shackles disappeared.

"But SHE can't...she's nowhere near ready and at the rate your babying her, she will NEVER be ready." Zach said.

"Which is why I was helping! If that stick in your ass wasn't so big, you'd help too!"

"Oh well, I've proven my point, I'll be on my way." Zach said and Roy had to jump out of the way as fire started to envelop Zach.

Roy ran to Areina, afraid that she was injured. And if she was, Zach would have an arrow in his ass as well as his manhood.

Zach was gone by the time they looked back over to where he had been standing, but Roy KNEW that Dick would want to know about this.

"Are you alright?" Roy asked the pair.

"Yea." Areina said, but she wasn't….her wrists were hurting from the burns.

"I'm sorry cuz. I should've seen that coming...I wasn't strong enough." Mathen told the father-daughter pair.

"It's alright, I'm not even a master of my meta power...but I think magic would be better against the Master….want to keep training me, oh powerful wizard." Areina said as she bowed her head a little.

Mathen laughed. "Of course...but can I borrow an arrow Roy? I think he needs a flaming one in his ass."

"Not till I take care of him, and I'm sure Dick will be pissed off once he hears." Roy remarked, a smirk on his face.

"Don't let Uncle Jason hear. He'll go after Zach…not that he doesn't deserve a few bullets." Areina told her dad.

BBBBBBBBBBBB

Watchtower Gymnasium

Serenity and Dick were in the gymnastics area with three year old Brie as she did a floor routine so effortlessly.

Both parents were very proud of their normal daughter.

Brie looked so happy flipping all over the place, never missing a step.

"She's so much like you." Serenity told her husband.

"One of our kids was bound to be normal." Dick retorted.

"Well...Brie was unexpected..." Serenity then laughed as Dick blushed.

"Want to try again?" He asked smugly.

"Six kids aren't enough?!" Serenity cried.

"They are...but you light up with each kid we have...and...you're meant to be a mom, Ser."

"Sweetie, Brie's a big enough hand full; let's leave it at six for now." Serenity said as she moved to kiss her immortal husband…and grabbed his VERY tone behind.

As they kiss, Roy came in with Areina and Mathen right behind him.

"Please tell me you're happy with the kids you have." Mathen said to his parents.

Both of them broke away laughing.

"Dick...Serenity...Zach attacked Areina and Mathen just now." Roy told the proud parents.

The parents looked at the two young heroes and noticed they were out of breath, and very pissed off.

Serenity ran to them, checking them for injuries. "Tell me how." she said in a voice that couldn't be denied.

"Mathen was helping me get better with my fire magic when I wear Merlin's amulet and during our training, Zach came in."

Serenity already looked mad as Mathen continued the story.

"He then said how none of us could handle the master and Areina mentioned how we're Arthur's descendants and he didn't believe her. He then set out to prove that neither of us was ready."

"Actually, I think I only fully revealed I was...I never said that it came from mom." Areina corrected.

Serenity was livid and she was barely holding her own magic in. "Where is he." she said rhetorically.

"He vanished after dad threatened him to free us from the shackles he used."

Serenity was then gone in a gust of wind, her rage taking over.

"Oh shit." Dick breathed.

"Ooooooo, Daddy said bad word." Brie told the group, a bit of a giggle in her voice.

Dick scooped his youngest daughter up and tickled her for a moment.

"She's going to hurt Zach, isn't she?" Roy asked.

"It's going to be worse...remember THAT day?" Dick said and Roy remembered all too well what day Dick was referring to.

"ZACHARIUS!" They heard Serenity scream at the top of her longs.

"He's SOO screwed." Areina said.

"Ari!" Brie said, calling Areina on almost cussing.

"What did Zach do?" Jason asked as he came running into the gym after hearing Serenity scream her brother's name.

"Attacked me and Areina." Mathen said.

Jason pulled out his gun. "I've been waiting for him to screw up. Now I got him."

Jason was livid…and happy in a way, and with a speed that any speedster would be proud of, he went to see if he could track them down.

BBBBBBBBBBBB

Training Room Beta

Zacharius watched as Cassidee made a daisy grow from the small slab of dirt that Marik put in a pan. She smiled happily.

"Haven't you gotten to walls of dirt yet?" Zach asked almost impatiently.

"No dad, but I can make rock statues." Cassidee offered.

Zacharius shook his head.

"ZACHARIUS!" Came Serenity's cry.

He grinned as his little sister came storming into the magic training room.

"YOU!" Serenity summoned a whirlwind to push her older brother up against the far wall. "YOU attacked my son and niece! What right did you have for doing that?!" Serenity shouted angrily.

"You know how we were raised! Learn fast or die!" Zach cried back.

"This isn't Camelot! And you still have no right to attack ANY if my budding wizards!"

"So you think having your eldest train a girl with no real magical skill in the use of magic is helping! Are you insane?! The Master will kill them as easily as he'll kill you and I!"

"No one's going to die, Zach. Your wife...I'm sorry about her..."

"THIS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH HER! Don't you see?! It's already over!" Zach felt more pressure on his chest.

Serenity fought for inner calm but she was still pissed. "We are still here. And so are Arthur's descendants. We still protect them, no matter what. Areina wants to learn fire magic, and so I would never refuse her quest. But you? You let your wife's death keep you from properly training your own daughter. Guilt eats at you all the time."

Zach wisely stayed silent.

"But for you to not only interfere with the training of another wizard, but to attack two young trainees like Mathen and Areina just to prove a point!? Our grandfather would have NEVER done that!"

It was then that Dick, Roy and Jason arrived, and saw what was going on.

"Our grandfather is DEAD Serenity!" Zach cried. "And I was only sparing that girl any illusions that she could help!"

"Oh that does it." Jason said and his gun was aimed right at Zach's head.

Serenity's eyes darkened as she sucked the air from around Zach's head and he gasped. "YOU...YOU stay out of my training affairs. IF YOU DON'T...I'm the one that'll kill you. UNDERSTAND?" She then released her spells.

Zach fell to the floor, gasping.

The men were shocked...did Merlin's granddaughter just threaten to kill someone.

"Awww..." Jason remarked as he lowered his gun. "I wanted to do it." He whispered.

"Ser..." Dick went to his wife but she held out a hand.

"No Dick...please...I need time." She then left the room, pissed off beyond belief.

"How can that wimp of a CHILD be Arthur's descendant?" Zach said after getting back to his feet. "She's going to be the first to die…."

Jason pushed him back into a wall, gun snug against his head.

"She's stronger than any of us in fighting spirit alone, and she sure as HELL is better than you."

"Get off me, mortal!" Zach cried.

"I don't care if this doesn't kill you...I'm itching to put a bullet in your head and splatter your brains all over the walls."

"JASON." Dick cried out.

"He deserves it! He attacked Areina and Mathen. He used his full magic on them without remorse. I say he eats a bullet."

"You would have died day one of any fight back in Camelot." Zach said with a smirk.

"Oh yeah. At least I would've put up one hell of a fight. I know who you really are, asshole. And I'll prove it soon!" Jason cocked the gun.

"Jason; Do NOT make me attack you myself." Roy remarked, his bow ready to fire at anyone right now.

"Jason...step away from him." Dick added.

The guns hammer was released and Jason dropped Zach...HARD.

"If you go after any of the kids, I'll take you out before Serenity ever gets the chance."

Both Roy and Dick sighed in relief.

Jason walked out of the room before he went after Zach again, but Dick wanted answers.

"Look...I know so little about Camelot. But to prove a point...using your magic..."

"That was how Merlin trained me...just passing down the tradition."

"Not here, Zach. Serenity never did such a thing with our kids." Dick pointed out.

"But you have one that is normal, no magic..."

"It was bound to happen, I'M normal." Dick retorted.

"So I noticed..." Zach shook his head as he stood up. "Serenity deserves better."

"You Bastard," Dick hissed.

"Dick, he's just baiting you." Roy said.

He wanted to beat the crap out of Zach so badly but he was just as powerful as his own wife in magic...he knew he was out-classed. But he threw his wing ding anyway.

"So, afraid of my power...good." Zach whispered.

As Zach burned it with his hand, Dick slammed into him, knocking him down. Dick got in two punches to the face before Zach grabbed his fist and heated his hand.

"Ahhh, son of a bitch." Dick shouted as Zach released him.

"My sister should've had an immortal husband." Zach stood up and Roy had an arrow pointed in his face.

"I AM immortal."

"Impossible, I would have seen you over the centuries." Zach said as Roy's arrow was still in his face.

Roy was about to speak up and tell the secret of the immortality in his 'brother', but Dick held up a hand.

"I think you have something to say to Zach about his actions earlier with Areina." Dick said, changing Roy's anger back to what the fire wizard had done to the two young heroes/wizards.

"Just stay away from my daughter when she's training her magic...or that arrow will be launched through your manhood and Cassidee WILL be an only child." Roy said as he glared at Zach

"You little archers ... it will be fun to watch you all suffer."

Zach left right then and there.

No one realized that Cassidee saw the whole thing.